Pistons Vs Pacers

I like this Indiana team, they're showing us how you compete with the Heat. Don't even try to match up with their Big-3, counter it with a big tough, physical brand of basketball. As I look at the Pacers I think that they (along with Memphis) are the model for the Pistons. So let's break it down:

PG: George Hill -vs- Brandon Knight. Is it really too much to ask that Knight perform at the level of a George Hill?SG: Lance Stephenson -vs- Kyle Singler. Lance doesn't put up jaw dropping numbers but he does a lot of the little things to help that team win. I personally think Singler can play a similar role on this team, but with a more reliable jump shot.SF: Paul George -vs- Kris Middleton. OK, here's where they got us licked. We don't have a Paul George on this team, however George's numbers in his rookie campaign weren't the least bit impressive.PF: David West -vs- Greg Monroe. Statistically speaking it's a draw, but West is a lot more tougher, physical and the superior defender. For us to take the next step we need Greg to toughen up and step it up defensively.C: Hibbert -vs- Drummond. Right now Hibbert is better because you can dump the ball into him and he can score, he also makes FT's and he's SUPER long and is a better rim protector.......but we all now Dre can and, probably will, be MUCH-MUCH-MUCH better than Hibbert in a few years.

They're better than us, but I think we can get there, a smart free agent move, a good coaching hire, a solid draft pick.....and I think we can be as good as they are (and deeper) in the 2014-15 season.

I like this Indiana team, they're showing us how you compete with the Heat. Don't even try to match up with their Big-3, counter it with a big tough, physical brand of basketball. As I look at the Pacers I think that they (along with Memphis) are the model for the Pistons. So let's break it down:

PG: George Hill -vs- Brandon Knight. Is it really too much to ask that Knight perform at the level of a George Hill?SG: Lance Stephenson -vs- Kyle Singler. Lance doesn't put up jaw dropping numbers but he does a lot of the little things to help that team win. I personally think Singler can play a similar role on this team, but with a more reliable jump shot.SF: Paul George -vs- Kris Middleton. OK, here's where they got us licked. We don't have a Paul George on this team, however George's numbers in his rookie campaign weren't the least bit impressive.PF: David West -vs- Greg Monroe. Statistically speaking it's a draw, but West is a lot more tougher, physical and the superior defender. For us to take the next step we need Greg to toughen up and step it up defensively.C: Hibbert -vs- Drummond. Right now Hibbert is better because you can dump the ball into him and he can score, he also makes FT's and he's SUPER long and is a better rim protector.......but we all now Dre can and, probably will, be MUCH-MUCH-MUCH better than Hibbert in a few years.

They're better than us, but I think we can get there, a smart free agent move, a good coaching hire, a solid draft pick.....and I think we can be as good as they are (and deeper) in the 2014-15 season.

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PG: Hill is 27 and makes 8M and there could be a reason for this. To quote Hollinger on Hill:Scouting report+ Long-armed combo guard with the handle of a point guard but a scorer's mindset. + Good spot-up shooter. Effective defender with long arms, especially at the 2. + Can slash to the basket and draw fouls. Slim build. Fairly athletic.

AnalysisI've always liked Hill better as a 2 than a 1, but as last season progressed he honed his point guard skills enough to do a solid job in that role. Hill had a career high in assist rate and a career low in turnover rate; in fact he had the fourth-lowest turnover rate at his position. While he still didn't create a ton (4.6 assists per 40 minutes), he at least got Indiana into plays, especially compared to Darren Collison.

Hill was considerably more potent as a shooter, ranking 14th at his position in true shooting percentage. He made 36.7 percent of his 3s and 42.2 percent of his long 2s, and despite shooting mostly jumpers got to the line more often than most point guards.

Defensively his length proved helpful in multiple areas, ranking among the leading point guards in rebounds and blocks while using his size advantage to play a half-step off most opponents. He does his best work against big point guards and short wings, but statistically he had solid grades across the board -- most notably, opposing point guards had just a 9.2 player efficiency rating against him according to 82games.com, while shooting guards didn't fare much better at 11.7. __________________________

PG: Hill is 27 and makes 8M and there could be a reason for this. To quote Hollinger on Hill:Scouting report+ Long-armed combo guard with the handle of a point guard but a scorer's mindset. + Good spot-up shooter. Effective defender with long arms, especially at the 2. + Can slash to the basket and draw fouls. Slim build. Fairly athletic.

AnalysisI've always liked Hill better as a 2 than a 1, but as last season progressed he honed his point guard skills enough to do a solid job in that role. Hill had a career high in assist rate and a career low in turnover rate; in fact he had the fourth-lowest turnover rate at his position. While he still didn't create a ton (4.6 assists per 40 minutes), he at least got Indiana into plays, especially compared to Darren Collison.

Hill was considerably more potent as a shooter, ranking 14th at his position in true shooting percentage. He made 36.7 percent of his 3s and 42.2 percent of his long 2s, and despite shooting mostly jumpers got to the line more often than most point guards.

Defensively his length proved helpful in multiple areas, ranking among the leading point guards in rebounds and blocks while using his size advantage to play a half-step off most opponents. He does his best work against big point guards and short wings, but statistically he had solid grades across the board -- most notably, opposing point guards had just a 9.2 player efficiency rating against him according to 82games.com, while shooting guards didn't fare much better at 11.7. __________________________

Shall we continue?

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The similarities between him and "good" Brandon Knight are Spot On! Problem is.....we see "bad" Brandon 75% of the time.

They're better than us, but I think we can get there, a smart free agent move, a good coaching hire, a solid draft pick.....and I think we can be as good as they are (and deeper) in the 2014-15 season.

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Watching the Miami series, it feels like we have a LONG way to go compared to the Pacers.

I think what frustrated me so much last year was that the Pistons could have been playing the skeleton version of these good teams with guys like English and Middleton, but instead we had to watch them feature Stuckey and Max.

Watching the Miami series, it feels like we have a LONG way to go compared to the Pacers.

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Well Bill, you can't have it both ways. From my end, you have dual visions that are at opposite ends. You have a hard time in accepting that Knight will never be more that a plus 15 level PG in the league. I don't blame him, and we can wish... all we want. Now, your comparison to the Pacers is a non-homer reality, and I take no pleasure in this summation (though, I think it accurate). You had a big, that just exploded upon the scene and a lesser (my pick way-back) that is equally so. Good to see it happen for the Pacer crew. Good for the Eastern Conference. And also, good for us: because we can now begin to understand that hard-working 3-4-5 combinations, will bring isolated 1-2 stimulus packages through the long grind of the season and the label is marked delivered: home address...the playoffs.

Writ large the cellular and modular puzzle:

5-4 (inside the membrane, stability)

3 (the gatekeeper, letting some in and some out)

1-2 (outside, adaptive evolution)

All this is never equal, and the warp and woof of circumstance never stands still.

I like Vogel and Lionel Hollins. They are 2 coaches who understand that who their teams are and when teams try to force their hand and make them go small they simply say NO, they stay BIG and ultimately force teams to match up against THEIR size. This is something Lee356 has been begging for-for years. Small ball will win you a lot of games in the regular season, Big Ball seems to win games in the Playoffs. Having a team where your 10 man rotation has the ability to play small ball but your 8 man playoff rotation and starting 5 are solidified in Big Ball seems to be the way to go!

Didn't Vogel get hammered (even teased by me) for keeping Roy Hibbert out of key late-game possessions in a loss because he was trying to match up with Miami's shooters (arguably a small-ball approach)?

Didn't Vogel get hammered (even teased by me) for keeping Roy Hibbert out of key late-game possessions in a loss because he was trying to match up with Miami's shooters (arguably a small-ball approach)?

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They lost....and he learned his lesson. Funny thing is, Miami is now giving extended minutes to Bird-Man Andersen and Haslem in an effort to go big against Indy and with the exception of 1 game it's truly worked against them. Win or lose, did anybody think it possible that Indy or any other EC team could take Miami to 7 games? And it's quite possible Indy could have won this series already had they left Hibbert in the game for that one last play.

Well Bill, you can't have it both ways. From my end, you have dual visions that are at opposite ends. You have a hard time in accepting that Knight will never be more that a plus 15 level PG in the league. I don't blame him, and we can wish... all we want. Now, your comparison to the Pacers is a non-homer reality, and I take no pleasure in this summation (though, I think it accurate). You had a big, that just exploded upon the scene and a lesser (my pick way-back) that is equally so. Good to see it happen for the Pacer crew. Good for the Eastern Conference. And also, good for us: because we can now begin to understand that hard-working 3-4-5 combinations, will bring isolated 1-2 stimulus packages through the long grind of the season and the label is marked delivered: home address...the playoffs.

Writ large the cellular and modular puzzle:

5-4 (inside the membrane, stability)

3 (the gatekeeper, letting some in and some out)

1-2 (outside, adaptive evolution)

All this is never equal, and the warp and woof of circumstance never stands still.

Just because it doesn't work out on a play doesn't mean the strategy isn't valid.

With 2 seconds left and Miami's threats all on the perimeter, no need for an in-the-paint center. They just didn't think Lebron could catch, spin, and drive uncontested for a layup in that small amount of time. Now they know.

With Hibbert in, they'd be automatically giving up an open perimeter jumper.